Every time Miranda Lambert releases the lead single for an (presumably) upcoming album, it's worth pausing and discussing because it's usually a leading indicator of where this modern queen of country music is heading towards the edge of hers Stetson will show.
At times this trend has been more towards modern traditional country, supported by strong songwriting, as on their early albums and The Weight of These Wings. Other times, things went in a more pragmatic and poppy direction, similar to their Platinum and Wildcard albums.
We got a new Miranda Lambert album back in 2021, but it was a bit more of a sideline in their acoustic / working band that The Marfa Tapes offers with songwriters Jon Randall and Jack Ingram. These tracks were a little more for Miranda's core audience and songwriting junkies who like to dig under the veneer of popular music, and for a good handful of listeners, it's what they prefer compared to some polished studio work.
But “If I Was a Cowboy” is the first taste of an album that will compete for big awards and be on everyone's lips because of Miranda's track record. "If I Was a Cowboy" is a western-themed song that features a female protagonist who refuses to be tamed or tied up with a moment of enjoyable escape. Who wouldn't want to saddle up and gallop away from the daily drudgery like an old school cowboy?
Written with Jesse Frasure, we have not yet confirmed who Miranda Lambert is working with as a producer. Any time you hear “ooh oohs” on a song, it is a good sign that Jay Joyce is taking the helm and producing Miranda's last album. But Jesse Frasure is also a producer so we just have to see. (UPDATE: According to Luke Dick on Twitter, he co-produced the track with Jon Randall.)
I'm not sure if the lyric hook "If I was a cowboy, I & # 39; d be the Queen" sinks its barb as deep as it would like, but it's catchy enough when you can watch the song on the radio What a Miranda Lambert lead single is what you're looking for.
"If I Was a Cowboy" isn't going to set the world on fire, but it should be well received and get the audience looking for a new album that hopefully contains more of those western tracks with touches of the steel guitar that you get hoped for as a country fan by Miranda Lambert.
1 1/2 weapons high (7/10)
